Hub cap and lock for the same



E7, 1956 A. SVVARTZ 2,24,68

HUB CAP AND LOCK FOR THE SAME v Filed April 24, 1934 WflTNESSEZSI-INVENTORI- n 7 I 16m Patented Dec. 17, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE2 Claims.

My invention relates to hub caps and locks for the same and itsprincipal object is to provide a hub cap for the wheels of automobilesand other vehicles which is compact in design, simple in construction,and which is, for the most part, made up from sheet steel stampings sothat it may be-produced quickly and economically by modern productionmethods.

Another object of my said invention is to provide a locking mechanismfor the hub cap which, while utilizing a key-operated lock of the barrelor tumbler type, which is necessarily of small size and lightconstruction, will at the same time be of strong and rugged constructionas regards the parts which actually secure the hub cap in position.

A further object of my said invention is to provide a hub cap and lockfor the same in which the delicate portions of the locking mechanism areeffectually protected from dust and dirt and which at the same time arereadily accessible to the operator.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in theimproved construction, arrangement, and combination of parts which willbe hereinafter fully described, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawing, which illustrates a preferred embodiment thereof, in whichdrawing- Figure 1 is an elevation partly in section on line l-l ofFigure 2, the outer cover being broken away to show one of the lockingbolts.

Figure 2 is a section on line 2--2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary section on line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a section on line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary plan view showing the latch means for securingthe secondary cover in position.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary view similar to Fig. 2, with the central coveropen.

Like characters designate corresponding parts throughout the severalviews.

I is the hub cap, of such diameter as to abut upon the inturned part 2which defines the opening in the body of the hub. Integral with the hubcap I is the housing 3 to which is secured, by spot-welding or othermeans, the base plate 4 which carries the main locking elements. In thecenter of and integral with the hub cap is the cylindrical projection 5provided with a bore 6 adapted to receive the barrel 1 of a cylinder ortumbler lock of conventional type, the latter being provided with theusual flange 8 which abuts upon the upper face 9 of the projection 5.The hub cap is provided with an annular depression I adapted to receivethe tightly fitted central cover II which serves to enclose the cylinderlock and to prevent access of dust and dirt thereto. Upon the rear faceof the base plate 4 are mounted the three radially disposed slidingbolts l2, the outer ends of which are guided in clips l3 pressed up fromthe material of the base plate itself, the said bolts being adapted toproject beyond the periphery of the 10 housing 3 and engage the inneredge of the inturned part 2 of the hub so as to retain the hub cap inplace but which may, when desired, be withdrawn in a radial direction sothat their ends are flush with the periphery of the housing 3. The innerends of the bolt l2 are provided with the oval portions l4, each ofwhich has a central opening I 5 on one side of which is a toothed rackI6, the latter being adapted to engage with the teeth of the pinion I!mounted upon the inner end of the rotatable cylinder I8 within thebarrel 1 of the lock. In order to ensure simultaneous rotation of thecylinder l8 and the pinion I'I, there is provided upon the end of thecylinder a square shaft l9 which projects through a correspondinglysquared opening in the pinion and is provided at its outer end with ascrew 20 and lock washer 2!, there being a large washer 20! between thesaid lock washer and the pinion. It will be observed from the foregoingdescription and by reference to the drawing that rotation of thecylinder I8 by means of the usual key will cause the bolts l2 to bemoved back and forth so as to lock or unlock the hub cap as desired. Inorder to prevent undue friction between the ends of the pinion teeth andthe inner surfaces! of the openings 15, there is providedl the verticalprojection 22 which is formed from the material of the base plate 4,being pressed up therefrom leaving openings 22! in the manner well knownin the art. In order to retain the inner ends M of the bolts in positionthere is provided a disc 23, in the center of which is a circularopening in which is journaled the rounded end of the shaft l9 which alsopreserves proper alignment of the said shaft. The disc 23 is providedwith bent up extensions 230 terminating in feet 23I which are secured tothe base plate 4 by spot-welding or other means. The extensions 230 areso positioned as to act as stops to limit the inward movement of thebolts l2. In order to retain the cover II in place there is provided thearcuate tail piece H0 adapted to engage in a slot 24 in the hub cap I,and diametrically opposed to this tail piece is a slot III in the coverin which engages a triangular pawl 25 pivoted at 26 to the hub cap andnormally maintained in the engaged position, as shown in Figure 2, by acoil spring 21 which is located within a slot inthe pawl and maintainedin position by the pivotal cotter pin 26. Within a recess 28 in theouter face of the hub cap I is located a button 29 having a reducedportion adapted to slide within a slot 30 and having its lower portionconnected to one end of a flexible member 3|, the other end of which issecured to the pawl 25 by spot-Welding or other means, the arrangementbeing such that, by sliding the button 29 in a direction away from thecenter of the hub cap, the pawl 25 is retracted so as to release thecover H which can then be raised up so as to withdraw'the tail piece H0from the slot 24, thereby freeing the cover. In order to assist thismovement there is the spring member 32, preferably formed from roundwire, which normally presses against the underside of the cover II, asshown in Figure 2, and is provided with rearward extensions 33 whichterminate in outwardly bent hinged portions 34, these hinged portionspassing through circular openings in the downwardly projecting edge ofthe cover. Beyond the hinged portions 34, and normally lying withinrecesses I H! in the rim of the cover II, are the downward extensions 35which terminate in horizontal members extending in a direction away fromthe tail piece and terminating in hooked portions 31 which pass outwardsthrough suitable openings in the hub cap and are bent into hooked formso as to be retained in position as shown in Figure 1. The shape of thespring member just described is so proportioned when in its free formthat when the cover II is in the closed position shown in Figure 2 theportions 33 will be pressed downwards so as to provide a resilientupward pressure against the cover. Thus, when the pawl 25 is released asabove described the cover II will be partially raised, after which it ismanually withdrawn from the hub cap and then swung around upon thehinged portions 34 and the hooked portions 31 so that the flange 8 ofthe lock will be uncovered, but, at the same time, the cover will bestill held in co-operative relation with the hub cap, loss of the coverthereby being prevented. In order to retain the barrel 7 of the lock inposition and also to prevent rotation of the same, there is provided theresilient member 38 which is secured to the face 5 of the projection 5upon the hub cap and is adapted to engage in a tangential slot in thebarrel.

The button 29 is substantially oval in plan and somewhat smaller indimensions than the slot 30, the arrangement being such that when theparts are being assembled, the button 29 occupies a position at rightangles to that shown in Figure 5 so that it may be passed through theslot 30, after which it is turned into the position shown and rivetedsecurely in the proper position relative to the member 3|. In order tofacilitate final assembly of the last-named portions, there is providedthe opening 39 in the base plate 4.

While I have herein described and. shown a preferred embodiment of myinvention, it will be readily understood by those skilled in the artthat the same may be modified in various ways to meet any particular orpeculiar requirement, without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my said invention,

what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United Statesis:

1. The combination, with a lock having a barrel, of a casing for saidlock having a back portion adapted to receive said barrel and an annularrecess concentric with said barrel, a cover fitting within said recessand spaced apart from the face of said lock, means for retaining saidcover in closed position, and hinge means for permanently securing saidcover to said casing while permitting removal of said cover from saidrecess, said last named means comprising a slot in the peripheral wallof said recess, a latch in diametrically opposed relation to said slot,an arcuate tongue upon said cover adapted to engage said slot, a slot insaid cover adapted 53-;

to receive said latch, and a supplementary hinge member pivoted to saidcasing and to said cover at points spaced apart.

2. The combination, with a lock having a barrel, of a casing for saidlock having a back portion adapted to receive said barrel and an annularrecess concentric with said barrel, a cover fitting within said recessand spaced apart from the face of said lock, means for retaining saidcover in closed position, and hinge means for permanently securing saidcover to said casing while permitting removal of said cover from saidrecess, said last named means comprising a slot in the peripheral wallof said recess, a latch in diametrically opposed relation to said slot,an arcuate tongue upon said cover adapted to engage said slot, a slot insaid cover adapted to receive said latch, and a supplementary hingemember pivoted to said casing and to said cover at points spaced apart,said last-mentioned member being adapted to resiliently press said coverin an outward direction.

ARTHUR SWARTZ.

